Cubby2014
Forums Enthusiast
After reading an article on gallbladder mucocele and speaking to rescuer Eva Saks who has seen this more times than she can count, I began a mission. I wanted the most appropriate commercial food to promote sheltie gallbladder & pancreas health. However, I refuse to sacrifice quality in this pursuit.
I started with a number of premises:
1. Shelties get pancreatitis easily.
2. Shelties get gallbladder disease / mucocele easily.
3. While protein under about 31% appears to be not much of an issue, the magic number for fat is 10%.
4. Someone has a convenient list of ethical companies with no recalls, no Chinese ingredients, transparency to the consumer, no complaints against them, etc. The problem is, every list is focused on the 31% protein and 18% fat which just won't do.
5. I'm American.
6. I live in the middle of nowhere so I need access to obtaining said food (Chewy).
7. Money is no object.
This group for several years has been studying dog food. http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/
If you go all the way to the bottom of the article, they have a full list of brands and formulas they like. They come up with a short list by removing brands & formulas based on the following: Products where the first ingredient is not a meat of any kind; products containing corn, soy, wheat, grain, or flour; products containing beet pulp or sugar; products that contained by-products or sauces; brands removed for serious recalls, poor ingredient sources, poor history, and poor customer satisfaction; and individual formulas reviewed based on the ratio of protein, fat, and carbs, as well as the source of protein. SO . . . taking the list of 29 ethical “brands” I examined them for good formulas. Oddly, and unexpectedly, this left ONLY these brands and formulas. Seriously, out of all the food on the market I was stunned to find this short of a list.
Addiction Dry & Wishbone Dry. They have several formulas made in New Zealand with fabulous numbers. Wishbone Lake (Duck/fish, 26%, 10%), Wishbone Ocean (Salmon/fish, 26%,10%), and Wishbone Pasture (Lamb/fish 26%, 10%), La Porchetta (pork/fish, 23%, 12%), and for dogs already suffering from known gallbladder issues and/or allergy to normal proteins Wild Kangaroo/apple (22%, 6%). This one is a little pricey, but it is a fabulous option for dogs needing very very low fat and/or a novel protein.
Annamaet – Lean Low Fat (chicken, duck, herring, 30%, 9%). I think this would be one of my chicken top contenders if I wanted a chicken-based appropriate food, esp. for a dog with known gallbladder issues.
Earthborn Holistics – Meadowfeast (Lamb, 26%, 15%), Grain-free Large Breed Dry (chicken, 26%, 13%). Grain-free Weight Control (chicken, 25%, 7%). These are excellent foods and not as expensive as many others. If I had a dog who could eat chicken these two would be serious top contenders. I leave the lamb there because lamb-based appropriate formulas are pretty hard to find.
Fromm -- Heartland Gold Grain-Free Large Breed Adult (Beef & Pork, 24%, 12%). This is my absolute favorite beef/pork recipe. Don’t let “Large Breed” fool you, the numbers are great, the dogs love it, and it seems to sit well with even the sensitive tummies. However, some dogs are allergic to beef so that is a consideration. Gold Coast Grain-Free Weight Management (fish, 25%, 10%).
Horizon – Amicus Adult/Senior & Weight Management (turkey, chicken, 30%, 10.5%). This company is from Canada and is very open about quality, GMO free, chemical free, and glycemically balanced. I think this company bears a lot of attention. If you have a very active dog, such as an agility competitor, the Legacy line has good fat content but pretty high protein (like 34%). This would be really solid for your very active dogs though. I think if my dogs could tolerate chicken, they would be tried on the Amicus recipe. This might edge out my other favorite chicken recipes based on company philosophies.
To sum up in an easily copy & pasteable list . . . My overall rankings by meat source (in order of preference):
Beef / Pork:
Fromm Heartland Gold Grain-Free Large Breed Adult (Beef & Pork, 24%, 12%).
Addiction La Porchetta (Pork/fish, 23%, 12%).
Lamb:
Addiction Wishbone Pasture (Lamb/fish 26%, 10%)
Earthborn Holistics Meadowfeast (Lamb, 26%, 15%)
Fish:
Addiction Wishbone Ocean (Salmon/fish, 26%,10%).
Fromm Gold Coast Grain-Free Weight Management (fish, 25%, 10%).
Chicken / Duck:
Horizon Amicus Adult/Senior & Weight Management (turkey, chicken, 30%, 10.5%)
Addiction Wishbone Lake (Duck/fish, 26%, 10%).
Annamaet Lean Low Fat (chicken, duck, herring, 30%, 9%).
Earthborn Holistics Grain-free Large Breed Dry (chicken, 26%, 13%).
Earthborn Holistics Grain-free Weight Control (chicken, 25%, 7%).
Other:
Addiction Wild Kangaroo/apple (22%, 6%). For dogs who need really low fat but can’t eat the chicken, this is a really solid formula. It’s pricey, but it is quality and appears to be good for dogs with a lot of allergies.
I started with a number of premises:
1. Shelties get pancreatitis easily.
2. Shelties get gallbladder disease / mucocele easily.
3. While protein under about 31% appears to be not much of an issue, the magic number for fat is 10%.
4. Someone has a convenient list of ethical companies with no recalls, no Chinese ingredients, transparency to the consumer, no complaints against them, etc. The problem is, every list is focused on the 31% protein and 18% fat which just won't do.
5. I'm American.
6. I live in the middle of nowhere so I need access to obtaining said food (Chewy).
7. Money is no object.
This group for several years has been studying dog food. http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/
If you go all the way to the bottom of the article, they have a full list of brands and formulas they like. They come up with a short list by removing brands & formulas based on the following: Products where the first ingredient is not a meat of any kind; products containing corn, soy, wheat, grain, or flour; products containing beet pulp or sugar; products that contained by-products or sauces; brands removed for serious recalls, poor ingredient sources, poor history, and poor customer satisfaction; and individual formulas reviewed based on the ratio of protein, fat, and carbs, as well as the source of protein. SO . . . taking the list of 29 ethical “brands” I examined them for good formulas. Oddly, and unexpectedly, this left ONLY these brands and formulas. Seriously, out of all the food on the market I was stunned to find this short of a list.
Addiction Dry & Wishbone Dry. They have several formulas made in New Zealand with fabulous numbers. Wishbone Lake (Duck/fish, 26%, 10%), Wishbone Ocean (Salmon/fish, 26%,10%), and Wishbone Pasture (Lamb/fish 26%, 10%), La Porchetta (pork/fish, 23%, 12%), and for dogs already suffering from known gallbladder issues and/or allergy to normal proteins Wild Kangaroo/apple (22%, 6%). This one is a little pricey, but it is a fabulous option for dogs needing very very low fat and/or a novel protein.
Annamaet – Lean Low Fat (chicken, duck, herring, 30%, 9%). I think this would be one of my chicken top contenders if I wanted a chicken-based appropriate food, esp. for a dog with known gallbladder issues.
Earthborn Holistics – Meadowfeast (Lamb, 26%, 15%), Grain-free Large Breed Dry (chicken, 26%, 13%). Grain-free Weight Control (chicken, 25%, 7%). These are excellent foods and not as expensive as many others. If I had a dog who could eat chicken these two would be serious top contenders. I leave the lamb there because lamb-based appropriate formulas are pretty hard to find.
Fromm -- Heartland Gold Grain-Free Large Breed Adult (Beef & Pork, 24%, 12%). This is my absolute favorite beef/pork recipe. Don’t let “Large Breed” fool you, the numbers are great, the dogs love it, and it seems to sit well with even the sensitive tummies. However, some dogs are allergic to beef so that is a consideration. Gold Coast Grain-Free Weight Management (fish, 25%, 10%).
Horizon – Amicus Adult/Senior & Weight Management (turkey, chicken, 30%, 10.5%). This company is from Canada and is very open about quality, GMO free, chemical free, and glycemically balanced. I think this company bears a lot of attention. If you have a very active dog, such as an agility competitor, the Legacy line has good fat content but pretty high protein (like 34%). This would be really solid for your very active dogs though. I think if my dogs could tolerate chicken, they would be tried on the Amicus recipe. This might edge out my other favorite chicken recipes based on company philosophies.
To sum up in an easily copy & pasteable list . . . My overall rankings by meat source (in order of preference):
Beef / Pork:
Fromm Heartland Gold Grain-Free Large Breed Adult (Beef & Pork, 24%, 12%).
Addiction La Porchetta (Pork/fish, 23%, 12%).
Lamb:
Addiction Wishbone Pasture (Lamb/fish 26%, 10%)
Earthborn Holistics Meadowfeast (Lamb, 26%, 15%)
Fish:
Addiction Wishbone Ocean (Salmon/fish, 26%,10%).
Fromm Gold Coast Grain-Free Weight Management (fish, 25%, 10%).
Chicken / Duck:
Horizon Amicus Adult/Senior & Weight Management (turkey, chicken, 30%, 10.5%)
Addiction Wishbone Lake (Duck/fish, 26%, 10%).
Annamaet Lean Low Fat (chicken, duck, herring, 30%, 9%).
Earthborn Holistics Grain-free Large Breed Dry (chicken, 26%, 13%).
Earthborn Holistics Grain-free Weight Control (chicken, 25%, 7%).
Other:
Addiction Wild Kangaroo/apple (22%, 6%). For dogs who need really low fat but can’t eat the chicken, this is a really solid formula. It’s pricey, but it is quality and appears to be good for dogs with a lot of allergies.
Just another option if you don't want to actually compile your own food.
